US3603309A — Ear mold protector

Claim 1

Independent Claim 167 words

In combination, in a resilient expandable elongated ear protector tubelike plug having an attenuator opening extending centrally longitudinally through the plug and with the inner end thereof formed in a substantially conical outward flare and the plug adapted for coextensive placement within the auditory canal of an ear, a ball of lessor diameter than the overall inner diameter of the protector tub-plug outward conical portion and of greater diameter than the internal diameter of the attenuator opening and positioned to be held normally loosely within said conically flared opening by a string secured thereto and with the string extending slidably throughout the attenuator opening and slightly beyond the outer surface of the ear plug, and a grasping member secured to the outer end of said string, said string being in overall length longer than the length of said attenuator opening, whereby upon a pulling of the outer end of the string the ball will form a releasable valve closing of the attenuator opening at that flared end.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 167 words

In combination, in a resilient expandable elongated ear protector tubelike plug having an attenuator opening extending centrally longitudinally through the plug and with the inner end thereof formed in a substantially conical outward flare and the plug adapted for coextensive placement within the auditory canal of an ear, a ball of lessor diameter than the overall inner diameter of the protector tub-plug outward conical portion and of greater diameter than the internal diameter of the attenuator opening and positioned to be held normally loosely within said conically flared opening by a string secured thereto and with the string extending slidably throughout the attenuator opening and slightly beyond the outer surface of the ear plug, and a grasping member secured to the outer end of said string, said string being in overall length longer than the length of said attenuator opening, whereby upon a pulling of the outer end of the string the ball will form a releasable valve closing of the attenuator opening at that flared end.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 100 words

In an ear protector plug combination as defined in the preceding claim 1, and characterized further by said ball also being of resilient material and being adapted to be resiliently and removably wedged into and held by and within said conical portion of the attenuator opening upon an outward pulling of the string by the wearer of the ear plug to thereby effect a valve closing of the inner end of that attenuator opening while said ear plug is in place in said canal, and by the inner end of the protector plug having an external salve cavity formed therein.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 85 words

An ear protector plug as defined in preceding claim 1 and characterized further by the definition of said plug having an ear shield extension portion around the outer end of the attenuator opening and said extension being of a configuration to conform precisely and coextensively to the surface of the outer ear of the wearer and having a sound dampener sealed space-trap formed within the material of that extension and around said attenuator opening and with a sound dampening acoustical material within said dampener trap.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 160 words

In combination with an ear plug ear protector having a plug portion of substantially resilient material and having an attenuator opening throughout the length of the plug to permit sound waves to enter therethrough from the exterior thereof into the ear, an internally outwardly flared extension of said opening at its inner end, a moveable ball in said flared opening and of greater diameter than that of said attenuator opening, a string secured to and extending from said ball and through said attenuator opening and to a point on the exterior of the plug, and a grasping means on that exterior end of the string, said ball and internal flared opening being adapted and formed so that upon a manual pulling of the string outwardly that the ball will thereby slideably and frictionally effect a self holding seaL closing of said attenuator opening outwardly flared extension by then being releasably frictionally held within and by said resilient conical opening end.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 160 words

In combination with an ear plug ear protector having a plug portion of substantially resilient material and having an attenuator opening throughout the length of the plug to permit sound waves to enter therethrough from the exterior thereof into the ear, an internally outwardly flared extension of said opening at its inner end, a moveable ball in said flared opening and of greater diameter than that of said attenuator opening, a string secured to and extending from said ball and through said attenuator opening and to a point on the exterior of the plug, and a grasping means on that exterior end of the string, said ball and internal flared opening being adapted and formed so that upon a manual pulling of the string outwardly that the ball will thereby slideably and frictionally effect a self holding seaL closing of said attenuator opening outwardly flared extension by then being releasably frictionally held within and by said resilient conical opening end.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-09-06	1975-03-08	1975-09-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-09-06	1979-03-08	1979-09-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-09-06	1983-03-08	1983-09-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ear mold protector

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